The forward has enjoyed an excellent debut campaign with the Blues after making the surprise decision to leave Manchester City in the summer but Terry John – the former head of youth recruitment for City – says it stems from a desire within the player to succeed.

John told World Soccer magazine: "That inner drive, he's definitely got that. He can change a game. And he's proved that at Chelsea. He didn't have to prove anything to anyone else, but I think he wanted to prove it to himself."

Palmer had grown frustrated about a lack of chances to play at City but Scott Sellars, the ex-academy manager at the Etihad Stadium, is pleased to see the player proving pundits wrong by becoming a key figure at Stamford Bridge.

Sellars said: "I think a lot of people thought that, because of all the wingers Chelsea had bought, he was going to be in the same situation he was in at City.

"But again he's proved people wrong and shown that he's the main one."

Palmer has proved to be a talismanic player during another turbulent season for the Blues but Sellars is unsurprised because the England international displayed an "inner confidence" from a very young age.

The coach said: "He always had an inner confidence. He was quiet, but he had a big belief. You could see it in his ability. That was a strength of his. Things didn't seem to worry him too much.

"He'd get the ball and, if he didn't beat somebody, it was like, 'It's OK, I'll beat you next time.' He was very determined. He was a kid who wanted to prove people wrong all the time."